RE: Prototype for a command parameter.

[bmorris@xxxxxxxxxx]

>Date: Tue, 11 Dec 2001 23:55:03 -0600 (CST)
>From: Scott Klement <klemscot@klements.com>
> ...
>Oh, yes... I knew they added 8-bit integer fields, but I didn't realize
>that they continued to expand the (worthless) "B" data type to 8-bits as
>well.

Scott, 2B 0 isn't an 8-bit integer.  It's a 16-bit integer, like it
always was.  2B 0 isn't an expansion.  It's been there "forever" in RPG
and DDS at least, and is only supported in ILE RPG for compatibility
reasons.  (Even if I-binary had been introduced in V3R1, we'd have had
to keep B-binary.)

You can actually define B fields with any length from 1 to 9, and
with decimal positions.  RPG B-binary fields are a decimal type, like
packed and zoned, not an integer type.  The only "binary" thing about
them is the way they are stored.

Well, you *can* define them, but you shouldn't, except *possibly* to
save storage for decimal values.  But you should never never never
(Scott, you obviously already know this, so this isn't for you), you
should never never never use them when they "match" system binary
fields (APIs, commands, INFDS etc).

Barbara Morris

"Please miss, is this going to be on the exam?"